wfn.org | Faith-Based Communicators React to ABC, NBC Nixing of Church Ad

["Carol Fouke" <cfouke@ncccusa.org>]

FAITH-BASED COMMUNICATORS REACT TO CBS, NBC NIXING OF CHURCH AD
 
December 3, 2004, NEW YORK CITY - Responding to the refusal of the CBS and
NBC television networks to air a message from the United Church of Christ, a
nationwide group of faith-based communicators has issued a statement
challenging the networks' action as "arbitrary" and contrary to the
principles of freedom of speech and equal access to media.
 
The statement was drafted yesterday by the Communication Commission of the
National Council of Churches USA, an ecumenical association of professional
communicators serving a wide range of Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox faith
groups.  The statement reads: 

"The controversial issue here is not the content of the ad, but the arbitrary
standards of the network gatekeepers. Church doors are open to all who would
come; but broadcast channels are increasingly closed to all but the wealthy
and well-connected. 

"It is important to note that the broadcast networks are not being asked to
give free time to the United Church of Christ to express its message - the
church is ready to pay dearly for that privilege, even though the networks do
not pay for their highly profitable use of the broadcast spectrum.  

"The Federal Communications Commission, in giving free access to the public's
airwaves to commercial corporations - with virtually no strings attached -
has handed them powerful control over America's media 'public square.'	The
for-profit keepers of that square are all too willing to promulgate messages
laced with sexual innuendo, greed, violence, and the politics of personal
destruction, but a message of openness and welcome that merely says 'church
doors are open to all' is being silenced as too controversial!	  

"Advocacy advertising abounds on TV: agribusinesses, drug manufacturers,
gambling casinos, oil companies, even some government agencies regularly
expose viewers to messages advocating their products and programs, in the
interest of shaping public attitudes and building support for their points of
view. 

"Are only the ideas and attitudes of faith groups now off limits? 
Constitutional guarantees of religious liberty and freedom of speech, not to
mention common fairness, beg for leadership by the FCC to assure that
America's faith community has full and equal access to the nation's airwaves,
to deliver positive messages that seek to build and enrich the quality of
life."

Initial signers include the following:

Thomas L. Hoyt, Jr., President, National Council of Churches USA (Shreveport,
La.)
Wesley M. Pattillo, Associate General Secretary for Communication, National
Council of Churches USA (New York, N.Y.)
Fr. Bernard R. (Bob) Bonnot, Roman Catholic author, producer (Los Angeles,
Calif.)
Sr. Maureen Fiedler, SL, Ph.D., Host, Interfaith Voices (Washington, D.C.)
Jo Bales Gallagher, National Training Center for Resource Center Directors
(Richmond, Va.)
Daniel Gangler, Director of Communications, Indiana Conference of the United
Methodist Church (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Mike Hickox, Director of Communications, New England Conference of  United
Methodist Church (Lawrence, Mass.)
Larry Hollon, General Secretary, United Methodist Communications (Nashville,
Tenn.)
Vince Isner, Director, FaithfulAmerica.org (Washington, D.C.)
N. J. L'Heureux, Jr., Executive Director, Queens Federation of Churches
(Richmond Hill, N.Y.)
Kermit Netteburg, Seventh-day Adventist Church (Silver Spring, Md.)
John L. Peterson, Communication Director, The Interfaith Alliance (Washington
D.C.)
David W. Reid, Publisher, Vital Theology (Fort Collins, Colo.)
Eric C. Shafer, Director for Communication, Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (Chicago, Ill.)
Louis C. (Skip) Schueddig, President, The Episcopal Media Center (Atlanta,
Ga.)
Nikki Stephanopoulos, Director, News and Information, Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese of America	(New York, N.Y.)
Shirley W. Struchen, Executive Director, Religion Communicators Council  (New
York, N.Y.)
Jerry L. Van Marter, News Director, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (Louisville,
Ky.)
William C. Winslow, retired communications officer, United Church of Christ  
(New York, N.Y.)

Additional signers will be listed on the Commission's website,
www.ncccusa.org/about/comcomadvocacy.html

-end-

Contact: NCC Media Relations, 212-870-2252 or 2048
cfouke@ncccusa.org or wpattillo@ncccusa.org
National Council of Churches USA
Suite 880, 475 Riverside Drive
New York, NY 10115
www.ncccusa.org